New coach Herman seen as Mr. Fix-It for UH's ailing offense

1of2Tom Herman, right, of Ohio State, shakes hands with last year's winner Pat Narduzzi of Michigan State, after being announced as this year's winner of the Broyles Award ceremony in Little Rock, Ark., Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014. Herman was named the winner of the Broyles Award on Tuesday, after the Buckeyes made the College Football Playoff despite losing two starting quarterbacks to season-ending injuries. (AP Photo/The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Staton Breidenthal) ARKANSAS TIMES OUT; ARKANSAS BUSINESS OUTPhoto: Staton Breidenthal, MBR

During the interview process for a new Houston football coach, Mack Rhoades was careful not to back himself into a corner by targeting an offensive-minded candidate, even though that was the Cougars' most glaring need.

Then Rhoades talked to Tom Herman.

"He had a detailed plan for taking our program to the next level," said Rhoades, UH's vice president for intercollegiate athletics.

Herman, the offensive coordinator at Ohio State the past three seasons, agreed Tuesday to a five-year deal worth $6.75 million. The $1.35 million annual base salary is the highest for a football coach in school history.

The first order of business for Herman: re-energizing an offense that underwent a quarterback change and was inconsistent for most of this season.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for my family and I to come back to Houston and lead one of the top programs in the country," Herman, 39, said in a statement.

Despite Herman's lack of previous head coaching experience, Rhoades said he emerged from a list that included several current or former head coaches - among them former Florida coach Will Muschamp - because of his reputation as an offensive innovator and his strong recruiting ties to Texas.

More Information

Rising pay scale

Tom Herman agreed to a five-year deal worth $6.75 million Tuesday, making him the highest-paid football coach (on an annual basis) in University of Houston history. A look at the initial contracts for the last four UH head coaches:

ART BRILES

1 Signed: 2002.

1 Length of contract: Five years.

1 Annual salary: $250,000.

1 Total amount without incentives: $1.25 million.

KEVIN SUMLIN

1 Signed: 2007.

1 Length of contract: Five years.

1 Annual salary: $700,000.

1 Total amount without incentives: $3.5 million.

TONY LEVINE

1 Signed: 2011.

1 Length of contract: Five years.

1 Annual salary: $800,000.

1 Total amount without incentives: $4 million.

TOM HERMAN

1 Signed: Tuesday.

1 Length of contract: Five years.

1 Annual salary: $1.35 million.

1 Total amount without incentives: $6.75 million.

Read More

"Through the process, Tom Herman's name continued to rise above the rest of the field," Rhoades said.

Herman has produced explosive, record-setting offenses as coordinator at Texas State, Rice, Iowa State and Ohio State. Last week, he won the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant.

"When you look at the history, our brand has been on the offensive side of the ball," Rhoades said. "He's been successful wherever he's been."

This season at Ohio State, Herman directed an offense that was one of the best in the nation, averaging more than 45 points and 500 yards despite having to replace eight starters.

Herman earned the nickname "Quarterback Whisperer" for having to use three different quarterbacks because of injuries, including one to Heisman Trophy candidate Braxton Miller before the season, and still helping the Buckeyes to the Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Herman will remain on staff at Ohio State until the No. 4 Buckeyes' season ends. They will face No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl semifinal Jan. 1 in New Orleans.

Herman will have to sort through a quarterback position that will be wide open this spring. Greg Ward Jr., who moved from receiver to start the final seven games of the regular season, John O'Korn and incoming true freshman Ben Hicks will be the likely challengers for the job.

Joseph Duarte has been a sports reporter for the Houston Chronicle since August 1996. He currently covers college athletics, focusing on the University of Houston. Previously, he wrote about the Houston Astros from 1998-2002, Houston Texans from 2002-05 and the Texas Longhorns from 2005-09. He came to the Houston Chronicle as part of an internship through the Sports Journalism Institute in 1995.

Get insights, lively discussion and, of course, debate from Houston Chronicle columnists and guests every Thursday as they take on the most current hot-button topics in sports. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast app, and give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It helps! Thanks!